Japanese Dog Mythology

Inugami

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: In’gami, Irigami
Category: Dog

The Myth

Inugami are powerful dog spirits said to serve human masters. They are known throughout western Japan, especially in Kyūshū and Shikoku, and are most often connected with wealthy or influential families.

To ordinary eyes, an inugami may appear as nothing more than a common dog. Its true form, however, is far more unsettling. It is said to exist as the mummified head of a dog, preserved and hidden within a secret shrine in the house of its owner. From this hidden vessel, the spirit carries out the will of the family it serves.

Inugami are loyal and obedient, performing tasks much like a living dog. They may bring prosperity, protect the household, or carry out secret commands. Families said to possess such spirits, known as inugami-mochi, treated them almost as members of the household. The spirits were believed to pass down through generations, so that each family member would have their own inugami.

Yet these spirits were not without danger. If mistreated or angered, an inugami could turn on its master with violent fury. They were also known for their power of possession. An inugami might enter a person’s body, settling inside and bringing suffering. Those possessed were said to feel strange pains, intense jealousy, or uncontrollable hunger, and some would bark like a dog. Removing such a spirit required another sorcerer and could take great effort and expense.

The creation of an inugami was believed to involve a dark and terrible ritual. A dog would be driven into extreme desperation through hunger and suffering, and at the height of that torment its head would be severed. The spirit born from that fury would become a powerful and vengeful entity. The head was then preserved and enshrined so that the spirit could be bound and commanded.

Because of the fear surrounding these practices, families suspected of keeping inugami were often shunned by others. Even the accusation of using such spirits could force a household into isolation.

Thus the inugami were remembered as loyal yet dangerous dog spirits — protectors, servants, and sources of both fortune and ruin, bound to families by dark rites and hidden shrines.

Gallery

Sources

Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Inugami. In yokai.com, from https://yokai.com/inugami/

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Hainu

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog, Yokai, Winged beast

The Myth

The Hainu is a legendary winged dog spoken of in the traditions of Chikugo in Kyūshū.

It is described as a powerful and fearsome creature, shaped like a dog but with wings that allow it to move swiftly through the air. Strong and fast, it could be as dangerous to humans as a wolf. Yet some tales say that, when tamed, a hainu could also be loyal and affectionate toward its master.

Stories of the creature are tied to events in the late sixteenth century, when the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi led his armies into Kyūshū.

One version of the legend tells of a terrifying winged dog that appeared in the region long before Hideyoshi’s arrival. The beast attacked travelers, slaughtered livestock, and spread fear throughout the countryside. When Hideyoshi’s forces passed through the area, the creature blocked their way. After a fierce struggle, the army finally killed it. Hideyoshi, impressed by the animal’s strength and cunning, ordered that it be buried with honor, and a mound was raised where it fell.

Another version tells a very different story. In this telling, the winged dog was not an enemy but Hideyoshi’s own companion. The animal followed him faithfully, flying above his troops as they marched. When they passed through Chikugo, however, the hainu fell ill and died. Hideyoshi was deeply grieved by the loss, and his retainers built a burial mound for the creature so that it would be remembered.

In later years, the place where the dog was said to be buried became known as Hainuzuka, the mound of the winged dog. A temple nearby preserved the memory of the legend, and monuments were raised in honor of the strange creature.

Thus the Hainu was remembered in two ways — as a terrifying beast and as a beloved companion — a winged dog whose story remained tied to the land where it was said to rest.

Gallery

Sources

Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Hainu. In yokai.com, from https://yokai.com/hainu/

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Okuri Inu

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: Okuri Ōkami (“sending-off wolf”)
Category: Dog, Yokai

The Myth

The Okuri Inu is a dangerous spirit said to haunt mountain paths, forest roads, and lonely passes. It appears as a dog or wolf and is most often encountered at night, when travelers must cross the wild places between villages.

Those who walk alone in the dark may suddenly sense that something is following them. If they look back, they might see a dog-shaped figure pacing behind them, keeping exactly to their footsteps. The creature does not attack at once. Instead, it follows silently, waiting.

As long as the traveler keeps walking, nothing happens. But if they stumble, fall, or show weakness, the Okuri Inu leaps forward with supernatural speed and tears them apart.

Because of this, the spirit is both feared and strangely respected. While it stalks a person, no other beasts or spirits will come near. In this way it protects the traveler from all other dangers, even as it waits for the chance to become their doom.

Some say there are ways to escape it. If a traveler stumbles, they must quickly pretend it was intentional. Sitting down at once and speaking aloud as if resting — saying something like “Heave-ho” or “I’m tired” — may trick the spirit into thinking the fall was not a sign of weakness. Then it will wait patiently rather than attack.

If the traveler survives the journey and leaves the mountains safely, they should turn and thank the unseen follower for escorting them. It is also said that once home, a person should wash their feet and leave out food in gratitude. If this is done, that Okuri Inu will never follow them again.

The spirit’s name, meaning “sending-off dog,” comes from the way it follows travelers as if accompanying them on their way. Since ancient times, stories of this creature have been told across Japan, born from the dangers of mountain travel where a single misstep could mean death.

Thus the Okuri Inu is remembered as a watcher of lonely roads — a shadow that walks behind the traveler, guarding them from danger while waiting for the moment they falter.

Gallery

Sources

Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Okuri-inu. In yokai.com, from https://yokai.com/okuriinu/

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Keukegen

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: 毛羽毛現, Keugegen (variant reading)
Category: Dog, Yokai

The Myth

Keukegen are strange little creatures said to dwell in neglected homes and damp places where dirt gathers and sickness lingers.

They are described as being about the size of a small dog, but their true form is hard to see clearly. From a distance they appear as nothing more than a lump of long, filthy hair. Up close, the mass shifts and moves, revealing a living creature hidden beneath the tangled fur.

These beings prefer cool, dark, and moist places. They settle beneath floorboards, inside moldy closets, or in abandoned corners of houses where dust, rot, and still air collect. Gardens choked with weeds and damp refuse are also said to attract them.

Though they may seem harmless, Keukegen are not welcome visitors. Wherever they settle, sickness soon follows. People in the house begin to fall ill, fevers spread, and misfortune seems to cling to the place. Because the creatures are shy and rarely show themselves, many only realize they are present when illness has already taken hold.

They do not attack openly and usually avoid being seen. Some who claim to have glimpsed one are dismissed as imagining things, yet the signs of its presence — sickness, weakness, and bad luck — are said to be unmistakable.

The only sure way to drive a Keukegen away is simple: clean the house. Fresh air, sunlight, and order force the creature to leave, for it cannot live where a home is well kept.

Thus Keukegen are remembered as small, filthy spirits that creep into neglected places, bringing disease in their wake, and fleeing wherever cleanliness and care take root.

Gallery

Sources

Foster, M. D. (n.d.). Keukegen. In yokai.com, from https://yokai.com/keukegen/

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